When from dreams
by ReallyRobin666
Summary: When from dreams you wake frozen in fear, losing your grip on reality and your mind... Juugo wakes nearly every night to help his friend who is suffering from sever recurring nightmares, caused by a trauma-filled past that Juugo knows nothing about. T for darker themes. ANGST. Can be SasukexJuugo if you want to see it that way.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I wrote this off of a sudden burst of inspiration, but it doesn't really have a context...just think of it as taking place in the world of X-men or something...  
Please Review!  
I may choose to continue it**

* * *

The scream that woke him was a scream of torment...

Juugo woke with a start, listening intently as he focused his mind on the room next door. He was no psychic but he didn't need to be to be able to feel the fear that was in the next room.

It wasn't an unusual happenstance, Sasuke often woke in the middle of the night, plagued by nightmares and it wouldn't be the first time that the presence of a friend would be needed to calm him down.

Juugo stood and moved towards the door, leaving it ajar as he barged into the next room...he had long since stopped knocking and as he entered the room-as it was every other night- he was met with a terrified gaze as Sasuke shrunk into the row of pillows that surrounded him.

some nights would continue into a violent struggle as Juugo fought to bring Sasuke's mind back to where it should be, while other nights would continue with Sasuke realizing he wasn't in imminent danger and collapsing into Juugo's embrace, sobbing.

And as he moved forward cautiously, Juugo found himself praying that the latter one would be the choice for the night.

Not that his willingness to help his friend had diminished, because it hadn't. If anything it had strengthened, but he didn't enjoy the way those onyx eyes would dart helplessly around the room, or the way Sasuke's face would fill with terror as he pinned him to the bed to keep him from injuring himself.

Sometimes he wondered what it was that haunted Sasuke, the desire to know aching in his heart until he supposed it would break, and then there were the times when he realized that he didn't _want_ to know. The mere idea of hearing about the torment Sasuke had faced in his past...it was too cruel and so he chose to leave the topic alone.

Maybe one day Sasuke would be ready and they could talk about it. Maybe one day HE would be ready to ask, but in the meantime-

Juugo moved forward slowly, his arms raised to show that he had no intention to injure, talking in a low, soothing voice  
"It's me Sasuke...it's Juugo" he waited, watching Sasuke carefully for any sign of recognition. There was nothing.

"You had a nightmare, but it's over now..." he went on, trying to soothe the fear that darted in and out of the dark eyes that were locked on him.  
Sasuke shook his head slowly, his eyes widening and his fist tightening on the twisted mess of blankets "-no" his voice, raw from his earlier cries came out in a cracked whisper and Juugo felt a dull ache begin to grow somewhere in his chest, pulsing through him as he fought the urge to take Sasuke into his arms.

"I-" he stopped, licking his dry lips "It's just me Sasuke..." there was a tone of pleading in his voice and he took an involuntary step forward, coming closer to the edge of Sasuke's bed before he even realized what he was doing.

Sasuke's body jerked back in a convulsion of alarm and Juugo forced himself to stop, bitting his cheek and holding perfectly still as Sasuke's eyes darted around the room, searching for a way of escape. _  
*No Sasuke, please don't look like that. I'm not going to hurt you, please don't look at me like I'm one of your nightmares*_  
The silent plea was like a chant in his head, a sort of prayer that was starting to become ritualistic.

"Everything's alright Sasuke, you're safe-" safe from what? he didn't even know what to say and yet there he was, going on in what seemed like circles in a non progressing cycle.

There was dead silence in the room as he waited for Sasuke to say SOMETHING. But nothing came out and he held back a sigh. What was he to do? he'd never had this kind of stand-off before; on the verge of disaster while still so close to helping his friend...it was frustrating.

Sasuke was completely silent, sitting with his shoulders tense, his body quivering, and all of his senses on hyper-alert as he watched the somewhat familiar stranger in his room.

_What was going on?_

_Where was he?_

_Who was that? _every form of alarm was going off inside of his body, yet at the same time he felt a stirring deep within his chest, as if he somehow knew the person that was talking to him and that he was..._important _to him.

His body shuddered and he arched his back in pain, a gutteral cry ripping through his throat. His mind frustrated at the confusion, his thoughts completely and utterly lost.

"Sasuke-" the man spoke again and Sasuke's head jerked up. The stranger had moved closer

"Sasuke, it's me. It's Juugo" the tone was soft, non-threatening and yet it made his heart beat that much faster. What was wrong with him?

"you had a nightmare...but it's over now..." Juugo repeated the words carefully, kindly, doing his best to sound soothing and familiar.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed and Juugo felt his hopes rise at the change from the terror-stricken expression to one of confusion. Juugo...he could have sworn he saw Sasuke's lips form his name.

_*That's it, come back to me*_ he waited anxiously, sure that he was emitting tension but unable to turn it off.

Sasuke stared at the face in front of him, watching as the handsome features came into focus, striking him with their familiarity. He KNEW this man. Knew him well...maybe even..._loved_ him?

"J-go..." he half chocked on the word and Juugo nodded, not daring to move but wishing he could sit beside his friend. "Yeah, that's me..." he sounded so reassuring and Sasuke felt a pricking sensation around the back of his eyes...tears?

He was in a sort of numb shock as the first trail of liquid made its way down his face and fell to the covers below, leaving a small wet stain that grew as another drop followed the first, then another, then finally he was crying, his fists contorted in the sheets as his shoulders shook with tearing sobs.

"Juu-" his voice cut-off halfway through, leaving a voiceless whisper that echoed in Juugo's ears.

He moved forward, unable to hold himself back any longer and sat beside Sasuke, his arms quickly making their way around his slender shoulders and pulling him close, whispering quiet words of comfort as he began to stroke the back of Sasuke's head.

"It's okay...I've got you...It's okay..." over and over again, providing a steady rythm for Sasuke to match his ragged breaths to. "I've got you...It's okay..."

* * *

TBC?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you so much to those who reviewed, I was really happy to see this story get such good reception.  
****So here's a 2nd chapter (I hope I lived up to the expectations of those who wanted more...you guys are so kind)  
****  
This may be a little more intense, but it should still be safe for a T rating.  
****As with the first chapter, the setting is vague, but I tried to keep it so that you could imagine it in the anime/manga universe if you wish to.  
Thank you for taking the time to read!**

* * *

Juugo hated thunder storms. They were loud and violent and even though he would never admit it aloud, he was scared of them.  
There was a certain feeling that came with storms, a morbid foreboding that sent chills curling up his spine in a really bad way, reminding him of all those frustrating nights that he would spend trying to help Sasuke, helpless in the fight against the nightmares that haunted him…nothing good ever happened during a thunder storm, that much he _knew,_ and as a the first crack of thunder shook the night sky he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, deciding that he would use his restless energy to go check and see if Sasuke was alright.

The walk to Sasuke's room was short—they _were_ next door to each other—made even shorter by Juugo's hurried pace. He really did hate the suspense of the lightning and the loud explosions that would inevitably follow...  
A loud boom shook the sky and he jumped, pausing just long enough to compose himself before he took the knob of the bedroom door in his hand and twisted, carefully easing it back with much practiced skill, his heart pounding loudly in fear of what he would find. He winced as the door gave a small groan of resistance, creaking the rest of the way open_. One day he was going to convince Sasuke to leave the door open so he wouldn't have to face the suspense of opening it himself every time he felt compelled to go check on his friend._

"_No…" _The faint cry reached him as soon as he had stepped into the room and he tensed his muscles, training his ears forward as he stared through the darkness. Sasuke head was turning back and forth on his pillow, his movements strained and jerky as his fingers clenched and unclenched on the edge of the sheets…clearly caught in some really bad dream…  
Juugo swallowed, his jaw tightening as the familiar feeling of sick frustration pooled in his stomach.  
_Why did Sasuke have to go through so much? _

He moved forward slowly, his eyes never leaving the figure on the bed, hoping for the best while not having any expectations. _ .Please be alright…_the words were a silent prayer on his lips as he spoke them over and over, completely unaware that his mouth was even moving, it had become that much of a habit.

"Sasuke—" the loud crack of thunder masked his voice and he flinched as Sasuke flung his arm out, his hand hitting the fragile lamp on his nightstand and knocking it against the wall, the sharp chips of shattered porcelain scraping across his hand as they exploded outward.  
"Sasuke!" Juugo moved forward to grab Sasuke's arm and hold him still, a sudden memory of Sasuke's terrified eyes as he woke to a large figure standing over him flashing through his mind and stopping him in his tracks only inches away. He couldn't wake Sasuke up, not like_ that…_but what else was there for him to do? And Sasuke was _ bleeding.  
_Juugo forced himself to take a step back and breath, trying to calm himself. _You can do this. Just call him and he'll wake up. Everything will be just fine…  
_He licked his dry lips and opened his mouth. "Sasuke"  
Silence.  
"Sasuke—" he tried again as a streak of lightning lit the room and then waited; silently counting the seconds between the flash and the explosion he knew would soon follow.  
_One. Two. Three. Fou—  
_the crack of thunder shook the windows, rattling them in their frames so violently that Juugo feared they would break even though he knew it was impossible.  
Sasuke's body jerked in reaction to the noise his neck arching against his pillow as he pressed the rest of his body into the mattress, his movements frantic as he reacted to whatever it was he was seeing in his head.  
_He had to do something, or Sasuke was going to hurt himself more.  
_Juugo stepped forward and grabbed hold of Sasuke's flailing arms, holding them down with a firm yet gentle grip.  
"Sasuke _please_"  
He wasn't trying to hurt Sasuke, he just needed to hold him still and keep him from hurting himself further.  
"Sasuke!"  
Thunder cracked again and Sasuke's eyes snapped open, his shoulders curling in on himself as he pressed against the mattress, his eyes wide and locked on Juugo's face.  
_…No…_ Fear was hammering inside his head and he tried to turn away, his eyes frantically searching his surroundings for something he recognized, but there was nothing. Everything was blurred together, making no sense inside of his terrified head.

_He had to get away-_

Sasuke's eyes locked on Juugo's face once more, his dark eyes filled with panic as he grasped Juugo's wrists, trying to pull the larger male's hands from their place on his shoulder.

"no..." It was a gasp as he dug his fingers into Juugo's wrists, his nails tearing into the tanned flesh and drawing beads of blood.  
Juugo winced but refused to let go, his grip tightening as Sasuke continued to struggle violently, desperate to get out from under whatever he thought was holding him down.

"Sasuke, listen to me." It hurt so badly to be _outside _of Sasuke's thoughts, trying to reassure him, telling him that everything was okay when clearly it _wasn't.  
"Please _listen to me…" it felt like his heart was going to give out. _  
_"You're _not _in danger, it's _me._" Sasuke's expression was unwavering and Juugo closed his eyes for a brief moment, fighting back the pain that was throbbing in his wrists as well as the pressure in his chest.  
The emotional stress was trauma, every night he faced this, not ever knowing if Sasuke would wake up or not…  
_Don't do this to me…to yourself. Wake up. Please.  
_He didn't want to hurt him, didn't want to use his strength and size to keep the boy beneath him, but…_did he have a choice?  
_"Sasuke _please"_  
Silence.  
"Sasuke I'm begging you…"  
Sasuke was still fighting him, his mind trapped in his dream, his heart beating fast, his breaths coming in short, haggard gasps, his face deathly white...completely oblivious to the pleas of the man he cared about.  
"Sasuke…"  
Sasuke's face looked ready to shatter, his dark eyes filled with agony, his grip tightening on Juugo's already injured wrists  
"Sasuke"  
_He had to stop this nightmare before it did any lasting damage to **either **of them.  
_Juugo wrenched his arms out of Sasuke's grip and grabbed the younger teen's wrists, straddling his companion's slender legs as he forced his hands back beside his head, his blood soaked fingers stiff as iron as he held Sasuke still through sheer strength of size. _He didn't like this…_  
"I need you to wake up Sasuke. This is hurting you and it's _not _real." He spoke in even tones despite the whirlwind of emotions that were swirling inside of him, his voice only slightly wavering as he went on.

"This world right here with me? _This_ is reality…"

Sasuke's breathing was coming in short gasps, his head tilted back and his cracked lips parted slightly as he struggled to breath.  
He could almost hear someone calling his name, almost recognize the face of the one leaning over him, but...but he couldn't bring it into focus, couldn't break through the barrier that was pressing against him, drowning him...  
Suffocating him...  
_help...  
_His hands closed on the wrinkled sheets, his fingers twisting in them and gripping them until his knuckles were white and his hands were quivering with the effort. He couldn't breathe, couldn't see, couldn't hear. Everything around him was a blur as tears pooled in his frantic eyes and ran down the sides of his face.  
_Please…_

"I can't go in there to pull you out…" Juugo went on in desperation, not sure what else he could do other than talk  
"But I'm right _here_"

_"-Juugo"_ Sasuke's lips formed his name in a silent whisper as his hand reached out, searching for the hand of the man he knew wasn't inside his nightmare. The man he needed, the man he _loved..._

"Sasuke..._I_..." Juugo took the hand that had been thrust out, holding it to his chest as his voice became too choked for words, leaning down and pressing his forehead against the paler, smoother one of his troubled companion.

"I'll always be waiting for you because—" his voice caught in his throat and he died off, unable to say the last bit of what he'd wanted to say.  
_—because I love you_

_Juugo..._

The hand reached down from nowhere, grabbing onto his outstretched hand and pulling him up out of the darkness and towards the surface, filling his lungs with air as his vision slowly began to clear.

_Juu...  
He could feel warmth spreading inside his chest, the light driving way the darkness as he began to realize the face leaning over him belonged to the one he needed…_

Relief softened the rest of Juugo's features as he watched Sasuke return to consciousness and he squeezed his hand tightly  
"hey" _because he couldn't say anything else  
_A weak smile lifted the corner of Sasuke's lips and his fingers returned the squeeze  
"_hi_" it was barely a whisper, but it was enough for Juugo  
"You okay?"

Sasuke nodded, his eyes never leaving Juugo's face as he allowed himself to be lifted into a sitting position—as if his dreams would come rushing back if he looked away even for the smallest fraction of a second

His eyes fell on Juugo's hands as the older teen moved to brush the side of his face, pain coming into his expression as he saw the streaks of blood that were beginning to dry on Juugo's wrists.  
"Juugo—" he reached out to touch the wounds, his fingers meeting Juugo's as Juugo took his hand instead, giving a soft shake of his head "Don't…" his voice was a warm whisper.  
"you're back now…and that's all I need"


End file.
